Ministry of Civil Aviation
First Flight between Sindhudurg and Mumbai takes off
Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia virtually flags off Alliance Air flight
530 km between Sindhudurg and Mumbai in just 50 minutes: Civil Aviation Minister
Mumbai, 09th October 2021
Union Civil Aviation Minister Shri Jyotiradiya M. Scindia virtually flagged off the first ever flight between Sindhudurg and Mumbai today. The inaugural event was conducted in hybrid mode where Chief Minister Shri Uddhav Thackeray flagged off the flight from the Sindhudurg Airport, in parallel. Shri Scindia flagged off the flight from the greenfield airport Sindhudurg under Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik" Regional Connectivity Scheme .
Sindhudurg Airport is Greenfield Airport
Sindhudurg is one of the 21 Greenfield Airports to be set up across the country for which Government of India had given approval earlier. Greenfield Airport is a term used to identify a new airport, built from scratch.
- A total of 271 hectares land has been used to build this Greenfield airport at Chipi-Parule in Sindhudurg district.
- Estimated Cost of the entire project is Rs. 520 crores.
- Construction started on 19th February 2013 by IRB Infrastructure Developers Limited, under Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation.
- One terminal has been inaugurated today.
The first flight was flagged off from Sindhudurg Airport  to Mumbai  today.
Schedule of SDW – BOM given below:
“Due to this airport, a distance of 530 km will be covered in just 50 minutes; we should have 20 to 25 aircrafts  for Sindhudurg, in the next five years,” Shri Scindia stated while speaking about the many benefits of the new airport. He also assured that his Ministry will extend all possible cooperation for the development and progress of the airport in Maharashtra.
Shri Scindia also applauded the Government of Maharashtra for the new airport. "I congratulate the Maharashtra State Government and MIDC on the inauguration of Chipi Airport. The glorious history of Konkan and Sindhudurg region and its beauty has now come on the map of air transport through the inauguration of this airport today.” He remarked that the inauguration of the airport in Sindhudurg district has fulfilled a three-decades-old dream.
Remembering Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, he said that Maharashtra has a glorious history. He also shared that this was an emotional moment in his life.
Union MSME Minister Narayan Rane expressed that the inauguration of Chipi Airport in Sindhudurg district was a very happy moment in his life and that it will be very useful for Sindhudurg district. He also mentioned that the inauguration of this airport would bring economic prosperity to the district through tourism.
Union Minister Ramdas Athavale said that Sindhudurg Airport is very important for the development of Konkan region.
During the event CEO, Alliance Air, Shri Vineet Sood handed over the first boarding pass of the flight from Sindhudurg, to the union minister Shri Scindia in Delhi and CM Shri Thackeray handed over the boarding pass to Maharashtra Industries Minister Shri Subash Desai, in Sindhudurg.
Indian Oil fuels the first flight
Indian Oil Aviation today fuelled the first flight of Alliance Air at Sindhudurg Airport to mark the inauguration of this greenfield airport at Sindhudurg in Maharashtra. Government has allocated Indian Oil for making refuelling arrangements at Sindhudurg Airport. State-of-the-art refuelling arrangement has been made by Aviation Wing of Indian Oil at Sindhudurg Airport for taking care of fuelling arrangements of all schedule and non-schedule Airlines. With the arrangement of fuelling facility at Sindhudurg airport, charter tourist flights with Sindhudurg destination can directly land and operate from Sindhudurg Airport. Across the country Indian Oil operates Fuelling Stations at 42 airports operated under RCS.
So far, six Greenfield airports namely, Shirdi in Maharashtra, Durgapur in West Bengal, Pakyong in Sikkim, Kannur in Kerala, Orvakal in Andhra Pradesh and Kalaburagi in Karnataka have been operationalized in the country.
Maharashtra Environment Minister Aditya Thackeray and other Maharashtra State Ministers and Government officials from M/o Civil Aviation spoke during the event.